The Serenade of War
by Cerulean Musings
Summary: Traveling back in time changed more than Barry realized. Keeping a tight grip on the criminal activity in Central City is something that he takes pride in. But when he's blindsided by a metahuman that can control anyone with just the sound of their voice, Team Flash finds themselves fighting in a war that they don't think they can win. [Crossover between FF/CF, IAF, and TMOS]
1. Prologue

**_The Serenade of War_**

 **By: DarkElements10 and Crystal Manning**

 **Full Summary:** Traveling back in time changed more than Barry realized. Keeping a tight grip on the criminal activity in Central City is something that he takes pride in; but when he's blindsided by a metahuman that can control anyone with just the sound of their voice, Team Flash finds themselves fighting a war they don't believe they can win. [Crossover between _Flash Fire/Crossfire_ , _In a Flash_ , and _The Mark of Sage_ ]

 **Rating:** T for language and violence

 **Warnings:** OC heavy, semi-graphic violence, language

 **Notes:** Set after Out of Time. Canon divergent.

* * *

 ** _Prologue_**

Barry Allen paced back and forth along the floor of the Cortex, staring hard at the ground as he went.

If he had the ability to see through walls he wouldn't be so anxious. If he had the ability to burn holes into objects it would've been cathartic. Then again, it was just the fate of Central City in his hands once again. He was used to it by now. It wouldn't have been an issue if it was something as simple as a new meta on the loose, causing petty havoc that would've been cleaned up in seconds. He wouldn't have been so nervous.

This time it was different. This time the danger was entirely his fault. All because he had to do so much to save Central City; he had to save everyone, he had to save Joe, he had to save his friends… And, in a big way, he had run as fast as he could solely to protect his father. Standing in front of that wave as Weather Wizard bore it down on the city, Barry thought of his father: how he was going to let him down; how he wouldn't be able to move fast enough to save him; how his father would sit in jail and not know what had hit him before it was too late.

He had no choice but to run, to create a wind barrier to protect everyone. So the energy of the wave would diminish by the time it reached the city.

And it had all gone to hell. He had time traveled and considering his knowledge of what happened when one time traveled—from the Back to the Future series—he messed up. Big time.

He ran his hands through his hair and down his neck in a protective hold. His stomach twisted and the _thump thump thump_ of his heart thudded in his ears. His racing thoughts were a whirlwind in his mind, swelling the waves of guilt that crashed through him; slamming upon his steady shore built of nerves.

Barry stood up straight; his fingers curled into his fists and his jaw set. He couldn't run away anymore, he had to fight back. He created this mess, started this war and now he would take the reins and lead his army to victory.

He wouldn't leave Central City again.

.

..

...

Outside the bay window of the luxurious, grayscale suburban home—though was more like a modest mansion—the backyard pool shimmered in the sunlight, casting fragments of color along nearby surfaces. Inside, the sun cast a warm glow over the mahogany dining table that Cadence Nash and her mother—Maya—sat around, glasses of iced tea and pink lemonade chilling atop coasters.

Leaning to the side, Cadence glanced out the windows on the French doors and watched as her son, Brady, bobbed up and down in the water with a massive water gun in his hands. Amidst the splashes from quick sweep of her father—Kent's—arms, Brady shot back a constant stream of water that glanced off his grandfather's forehead.

Cadence tuned into the question that had been asked of her. "I don't know when we'll be back, Mom," the fire metahuman said matter-of-factly. "I'm doing fine in Central City."

Maya's round face softened at the words with an almost palpable sense of guilt, if not empathy. "Sweetie, it's not like I'm asking you to make an appointment for a root canal—"

"—Of course not," Cadence interrupted. "You made sure I had perfect teeth. To the point that I could only eat sugarless candy for Halloween. Who _does_ that?"

Maya smiled a little. "Yes, well, we don't want it to be another seven years before you decide to come back and see us again. As a matter of fact, I was hoping maybe you'd come back at least once a month or so."

"Do you plan on showing me around like some kind of a circus sideshow? The girl who _finally_ came back to Metropolis?"

Maya didn't take the bait of Cadence's bitter tone but responded to it with patience and understanding. "I understand that you're still hurt and are confused by some of the things we talked about during your last visit, honey, but you can't run away from it. It's reality."

Cadence sighed and nodded. Her mother was right. She was running from things, something she had been doing her best to fix. Well, she was home, wasn't she? And she was actually having a good time for the most part. Getting over that initial animosity that constantly seemed to plague her finally made her relaxed enough to see her mother as a person and not just as someone to be angry at.

Now Maya's face softened even further reminded Cadence of why she wanted to be just like her mother when she was very young. Her beautiful face typically held nothing but mirth and a passion for life, her thick, wavy blonde hair, full mouth, and friendly hazel eyes completed the package. Then Maya let out a quiet sigh, gently bringing up a hand to gently scratch right behind her ear. "We're not asking you to move back, but we want you to know that your room is always open for you whenever you need it. We're always here."

A smile graced Cadence's features. Her mother's faults aside, Cadence could admit that she missed her parents since having left Metropolis for Central City. There was nothing she would've liked more than to have that relationship with them again. But there was always a part of her that was still the girl that longed to be home and in the protective arms of her parents and knew it would never be the same as it was before. _Maybe that's the point._

"We'd like to be able to see you and Brady more, and know what you're up to," Maya continued, voice as smooth and warm as Cadence remembered. "Please don't hold every little decision that we've made against us."

"I don't know." Cadence rested her chin in her hand as she mused, a light dancing in her eyes. "I'm still upset I never got that puppy I asked for as a kid."

Maya laughed as the back door of the house opened and nine-year-old Brady Nash padded in through the kitchen leaving a trail of wet footprints behind. Cadence smiled as she noticed her mother's cheek twitching as she tried to hold herself back from immediately cleaning up behind him. A brightly colored Spider-Man towel draped around Brady's shoulders flapped behind him like a cape as he raced over to his mother. "Did you see, Mom? I beat PaPaw in water basketball." He looked up at Cadence, hazel eyes bright. Water droplets trickled down his round cheeks and dripped off his chin. "I beat him good, too!"

"It looks like it," Cadence agreed. She lifted his towel in her hand and tenderly rubbed water off his face and hair. "I hope you didn't tire him out, bud." She glanced up at her father, who had pulled a black-t-shirt on over his shorts and sat down in the seat next to his wife. Kent Nash, in comparison to his wife, had a strong face that amplified his kind eyes, dark hair, and thin mouth. His face, which had been round in past was starting to become gaunt, but his eyes still held life in them.

"Ah, that's what grandchildren are supposed to do," Kent reminded her with a wave of his hand. "Make you tired and spend all your money." He tilted his head over towards Brady before smiling at his daughter. "He definitely got that from you."

"It's not my fault I liked to play sports," Cadence defended herself.

"But it's your fault you had an insatiable appetite," Kent shot back. "I still have to fill up the pantry and refrigerator whenever I know you're coming home."

Right, as if _that_ was the reason her metabolism was so fast. "Thanks, Dad."

"When are you coming back again?"

Cadence raised an eyebrow as she wrapped the towel tighter around Brady and lifted him up onto her lap. "Mom just got through asking me that question. I don't know when we're coming back. I have so much work to do, and then there's Brady's school work, and—"

"—And Barry," Brady broke in.

Cadence made a light huffing sound. "Notice you're the only one that brought him up," she said pointedly to him before changing the subject, glad her parents didn't try to interrogate her over her sort of boyfriend. She would rather them ask questions about Brady's phasing powers…when she told them. "But you can come to Central City sometime, I guess. Unless you have another big PR project to do."

Kent shook his head. "Just a bunch of little ones," he replied. "Nothing major. Though from the emails and phone calls, it sounds like a lot has been going on in Central City."

Cadence opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by her ringing phone. She shifted Brady to her other side and pulled out her phone, briefly glancing at the screen before answering. "Hey, Barry, what's up?" Brady sat up and leaned closer to his mother, trying to hear the conversation through the small electronic device. She smiled and pushed him away.

"Hey," Barry replied, sounding a little out of breath. It immediately set Cadence on edge, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She knew he wasn't calling just to talk or see how things were going. Something big was up. "Where are you right now?"

"In Metropolis." Cadence drew in an uncertain breath, afraid to ask the dreaded question. "What's wrong?"

"You need to get back to Central City and STAR Labs as soon as possible. There's….there's something big happening. I need your help."

"I'm on m way now," Cadence said. She hung up the phone and put it back into her pocket before turning to Brady. "Go get your stuff, bud, we have to get back to Central City." Brady nodded and slid off of his mother's lap before padding out of the room. The fire metahuman turned back to her mother and father. "Sorry, but there's an emergency, I have to get back."

"Is everything okay?" Maya asked.

Cadence twisted her mouth to the side. That really depended on what her mother's definition of 'okay' was, didn't it? She hadn't told her parents what she was a part of in Central City; that she raced off to fight other metahumans like her along with the Flash. There were just some things they didn't have to worry about, and using her powers to fight crime was one of them.

"I'll tell you all about it the next time I call," she promised.

.

..

...

The door to the container sitting in the middle of the rock fell open with a loud clang. It startled a few of the penguins that were walking around nearby but then they went back to what they were doing. They ignored the handlers and volunteers that moved about the exhibit space, trying to coax the penguins inside out to their new home.

"Come on, Reject, this is your new home. Don't you want to look around?" Sage Moreaux asked, tucking her honey-blonde hair behind her ear. "The other penguins won't bite." She placed her hands on her knees for balance and peered into the darkened box. "Come on little guy. We have _fi-ish_!" Her lips turned into a pout as she stood straight up. "I think we made him too comfortable, Mrs. A," she commented.

Her supervisor, Mrs. Armstrong, removed her cap from her head and brushed the line of sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm. "Yes, that can happen," she said and placed the hat on her head once again. "We have to find something to coax him out."

"You mean we can't just go in and get him? That may be easier," Sage suggested.

"It could also upset him. The last thing we want is to integrate him when he's not at peace. Get some more fish and if that doesn't work we can bring out the krill. While you're at it, feed the others. Maybe seeing the others eat will bring him out."

"Aye, aye captain!" Sage saluted Mrs. Armstrong and went to fetch the fish that had been set aside. She pulled large rubber gloves on over her latex ones and then carried the bucket over to the penguins. They waddled over to her and began hopping up and down in anticipation for food. She grabbed handfuls of fish and scattered them around, giggling when the penguins all descended on them. "See, Reject? We have food out here for you. Come and get some."

She lifted a fish and wiggled it around in Reject's line of sight but he still stayed put in the crate. Sage's shoulders dropped and she gave the fish in her hand to the one penguin that was hopping up and down by her leg. She smiled and gently caressed the bird's head as it worked its beak on the fish in its mouth, the tail flopping with each chew. Once they were all fed she then approached Reject and tossed it towards him. It hit the bottom of the container with a wet _smack_. Reject stared at it for a second and then tucked himself back into his corner.

"Hmm," Mrs. Armstrong hummed, rubbing her chin. She sighed and then held out her hand and flexed her fingers. "Hand me the krill. That may work." She removed gloves from her back pocket and pulled them on before accepting the bucket of krill from her volunteer coworker. "He's far more homesick than I would have pegged him for."

"I would be upset too if I was suddenly moved from Central to Starling without warning." Sage leaned over to peer around Mrs. Armstrong's back as she offered krill to Reject. (That wasn't intended to be his name; it was a leftover fact from being abandoned by his mother. It stuck and he responded to it after a while so they left it). This he ate but even after getting his fill he didn't leave the box, choosing to stare back at them. "How old is he again? Is he a teenager?"

Mrs. Armstrong snorted. "No. I know teenagers, Reject isn't one. Let's finish feeding the others and see if he comes out on his own."

The two women proceeded to feed the penguins until the bucket was empty and the Starling penguins abandoned them to go back to the small holes in their habitat or jump straight into the water. A few dove beneath the surface, gliding through the water while the others splashed around on the top. And still Reject sat in his crate, as comfortable as could be.

"Maybe we can just let him live in the box. _That_ can be the exhibit's new attraction. _Zut alors!_ " Sage cried out, throwing her arms into the air. Her arms dropped to her side and huffed…only for her head to incline much like a dog listening to something as she stared at the box. Reject had gotten to his feet and slowly inched his way towards the opening of the crate.

"Do that again," Mrs. Armstrong said, hitting her arm. "I think it responded to you speaking French."

Shrugging her shoulders, Sage crouched and extended her arms towards the bird. " _Viens ici. Viens à Sage._ " Her eyebrows jumped in astonishment as Reject waddled out of the crate and right to her outstretched hands. He flapped his wings rapidly and Sage laughed while petting his head. "Well, waddya know. This penguin's bilingual! You're such a smart boy, yes you are!" She set Reject down and watched him run for the water. "Mommy's going to miss you. She'll come back and visit as soon as possible, okay?" She had brought her gloved hand up to her nose as she sniffed only to recoil at the strong fish scent that clung to the material.

Mrs. Armstrong laughed and scratched at her forehead. "I've seen some weird stuff working at the zoo but that just has to take the cake."

"Compared to the weird shit going around Central City, _this_ is the weirdest thing you've dealt with?" Sage asked, an eyebrow quirking. Mrs. Armstrong shook her head and turned away as Sage chuckled. Her laugh was cut short as she felt her phone buzzing in her back pocket. Briefly making a face at the idea of the fish scent on her gloves sticking to her phone, she dug her hand into her pocket and pulled it out. Barry's picture filled the screen as his number flashed on it. After a few swipes of her thumb she managed to answer the call and held her phone up to her ear.

"Hey Bare! Guess what? Reject can—" Sage greeted him, a smile splitting her face.

"Sage, whatever story you want to tell me has to wait," Barry interrupted her, speaking quickly. Her eyebrows furrowed. "You need to leave Starling right now."

"What? Why? I was going to meet up with Laurel and Thea and—"

"It's important! Central City needs your help. _I_ need your help."

There were few times she heard that level of seriousness in Barry's voice; like the other times, it made a shiver roll down her spine. She licked her lips and said, "Alright, I'll get there as soon as possible."

She hung up her phone and then stared at the blank screen, wondering just what it was that was troubling Central City that made it so that neither The Flash nor the CCPD could handle it on their own. Whatever it was, it had to be bad.

.

..

...

Averey Moore clenched her teeth as she lowered her camera from her eye. "Little angels my foot," she muttered under her breath as she stood from her crouched position.

People have always said never to work with kids and she was quickly learning just how right they were. The Anderson kids were going to cause the invention of female pattern baldness with how badly she wanted to rip the hair out of her head. One couldn't stop picking their nose, one didn't want to sit still, and the other didn't want to smile.

She wiped at the grass blades stuck to her jeans, frowning at the small green streaks. How their parents could be in so much denial about just how rowdy their kids was beyond her. "I think I've got it," she announced lowering her sunglasses from where they were pressed into her forehead over her eyes. She lifted a hand and rubbed at the nose pad indents in her forehead.

"Yay!" A cheer rose from the kids as they jumped off the small stone ledge before scattering like birds. They threw themselves down onto the grass and started laughing and shrieking as they chased after each other.

"Yayyyy," Averey quietly repeated with waning enthusiasm as she removed the camera strap from around her neck. "I'm going to need a drink after that one." She peered down at the screen on the back of her camera, scrolling through the pictures. Fingers in noses, looking in multiple directions, bunny ears, and frowns of dissatisfaction blinked past. "A bloody big one."

"I hope the kids weren't too much trouble," Mr. Anderson said as he stepped towards Averey, head bent as he scribbled in his check book. "They're an active bunch. Half now and half after receiving the final edited photos, right?" Averey nodded and Mr. Anderson ripped the check out of his book.

"Full refund if you're completely dissatisfied. I got plenty of shots, Mr. Anderson, no worries." Averey gave him a smile of thanks as she took the check, sliding it into her pocket. "Once the kids relaxed, and not posed, it was smooth saiing." She packed up her belongings and slung her bag over her shoulder, giving the Anderson family a wave before heading out of Keystone Park. "As smooth as you can get in a hurricane."

Lifting her hands up to her hair, the sun casting a glow on the solid black 8 etched onto the inside of her left wrist, she twisted her caramel brown hair into a ponytail. Averey twisted her mouth to the side, sliding her fingers over the raised skin before pulling her shirtsleeve down over her wrist. She'd make double the amount of money in one night with "the gang" then she did on photo shoots. But, she had to keep up appearances one way or another. If sticking around the city, waiting for the next gang job meant having a lull in income and blog posts for "Averey's Adventures" then so be it.

Her cell phone vibrated against her backside and she reached into her back pocket for her cell phone. Barry Allen's name appeared on her screen and she slid her thumb over the face plate, answering the call. "Hey, Barry," she said as soon as she heard the small ping indicating her call was picked up, "I know you're not much of a drinker, but is there any possibility you could take a detour into Keystone for some? I need it after the day I had."

"We're going to have to hold off on a trip to the bar, Ave," Barry said, concern coming through over the phone. "Besides, I can guarantee that you'll have an even bigger reason for it after this." His voice then suddenly lowered in volume. "I'll even ask Caitlin to make a stronger drink to make sure I can get drunk."

Averey blinked, pulling her phone away from her ear. She gave the screen an odd look before replacing it. "This must be huge," she commented, "I mean, you actually _want_ to get drunk." Her eyebrows pulled towards each other. "What's going on, Barry?'

"I need you in Central City as fast as you can get here," Barry replied. "I know you went out to Keystone for work…"

Averey had to stop herself from snorting. Yeah, if you could call it work. If that was the case, then the Royal Flush Gang was a freaking office. "Say no more." Averey looked around the park, making sure no one was in ear shot. "With the Cisco-Cycle I can get there pretty quickly," she replied, slowing her walking pace until she was standing still. "Which by the way, I'm going to rename as soon as I think of a better one."

"Well, you have plenty of time to think on the way over," Barry replied. "I'll see you when you get here."

With a final "see you," Averey hung up on her call. Her thumb hovered over her phone before she tapped through her phone book. Scrolling down to K, she highlighted the name KING and started a new call. The low ring of the call connecting rumbled in her ear once, twice, three times before she heard a click.

" _Yea_ h?"

"Hey, Gavin. It's me," Averey greeted the voice on the other end. She tapped her shoe one the ground. "I need to split to Central City for a little bit."

" _What for_?" She heard the sudden change from nonchalant to annoyance. Or was it suspicion.

"Emergency," Averey replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can." There was a long, stretching silence on the other end of the phone.

" _Just stay on call. I might need you on a project while you're out there._ "

"Sure," Averey replied with a nod of her head. "Sure." She ended the phone call and continued making her way through the park. For years she's heard complaints about working a 9-5 job, but keeping her life in the Royal Flush Gang and working side by side with the Flash was a 24/7 commitment.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Here it is, the crossover we've been talking about for months now! Welcome to _The Serenade of War_! It was originally titled "Flashpoint" but as the show moved further into the second season, we decided not to keep the title since "Flashpoint" is its own important arc in the Flash comics. Thus, _The Serenade of War_ has come to be.

As noted above, it's set right after the event of Out of Time but it's not canon divergent so this story doesn't follow the show canon. Being that this is a cowrite between myself and both parts of DarkElements10, the updates will have some time between them to ensure we're on the same page with what will happen next as well as for editing and revision purposes.

Newcomers to this story, you don't necessarily need to read _Flash Fire, Crossfire, In a Flash,_ or _The Mark of Sage_ to understand this story but if you want to feel free! We'd appreciate the support. If you have any questions please feel free to ask! We hope you enjoy this story and thanks to you all for giving it and us a chance!

 **-DE10 and C.M.**


	2. Chapter 1

**.:Chapter One:.**

Pace, pace, pace, turn.

Pace, pace, pace, turn.

Pace, pace, pace, turn.

"I wonder how quickly he could do this if he were using his speed," Cisco remarked, his eyes following every one of Barry's movements. He then snapped his fingers. "Better question! Would he burn a hole in the ground like the cartoons?"

"It's good to know that your scientific inquiries are centered on cartoon physics," Caitlin teased. She paused, tilting her head to the side. "Though it would answer questions about heat registers and friction…"

Cisco's lips stretched back into a grin.

"Maybe this'll tire him out so he wouldn't be so freakishly anxious all the time." Cisco shook his head. "It just makes me wonder what a phone call to someone he _doesn't_ know would do."

"Mmm, probably word vomit," Caitlin remarked. Her eyebrows rose. "You know how he does that _thing_ when he's nervous? Imagine that about ten times worse." The two giggled with each other until Barry turned and glared at them. Caitlin quickly regained her composure, moving a strand of hair out of her face with a flick of her fingertip. "Barry," Caitlin called as he started another round of pacing. She was starting to get dizzy. "They're all going to be here soon. We can't do anything more. Don't torture yourself."

"What is waiting going to do when we _know_ Snart and Heatwave _aren't_? They're out there doing who knows what and we're..." Barry came to a frustrated stop. He crossed his arms his gaze over his friends, daring them to prove him wrong.

Harrison, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow and flashed Barry a knowing look. "Well then, Mr. Allen, if this was a competition of wits, I'd say they've won." As Barry rolled his eyes, Harrison wheeled his chair out from behind his computer desk and up to the metahuman's side. "All joking aside, Barry, Caitlin is right. There isn't much we can do at the moment other than wait. You've called them to return to Central City when we first got the reports that Snart and Heatwave were conducting some…peculiar activity."

He ran his thumb over his fingers as he continued to watch Barry, this time his knowing look transformed into a smile of amusement. "However, it remains to be seen that you've managed to collect quite a few names in your superhero black book. To that affect I have to ask if you plan on furthering your reach or if we can expect you to stick with Central City?"

After a second of silence—detecting the smiles that were on Caitlin's and Cisco's faces—Barry realized Harrison was making fun of him and managed to smile as well. Shaking his head, he turned and started to pace once more. How long did it take to get from Starling, Metropolis, and Keystone anyway? They weren't that far. Keystone was the closest; it was just across the river. Starling…that trip could be easily made in a few hours by train, Metropolis would be made in just about a day as well. He called early in the afternoon the day before and traveling by car shouldn't be difficult.

Barry ran his hand over his forehead once more.

His nerves were shot, though he expected that to be the case anytime someone managed to travel back in time. He never thought it was possible, to tell the truth. Impossible used to not be part of his vocabulary, especially after gaining his powers in the first place. However he was still a very scientific minded person. Dealing with data, logistics, facts, and figures on a nearly daily basis then falling into a life where things didn't fit perfectly within those categories made him nervous.

Seeing how he had managed to make things worse while saving his city was making him question himself and his heroic abilities.

But, as Caitlin drilled into his head, having the guts to ask for help showed his dedication to his city and his newfound responsibility.

"Relax, Mr. Allen," Harrison's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

He wasn't sure the word 'relax' was in his vocabulary either.

Within the comfortable silence that fell over the STAR Labs team, Barry was suddenly overcome with a wave of gratitude. He wasn't particularly as selfish person; he preferred to say he had tunnel vision. He wanted to get his father out of jail. He wanted to save Central City. He wanted to be happy. And these three people, who had lost their careers and parts of their lives, still worked with him as a team as much as they had when the Particle Accelerator had gone up in flames. His gratitude for the group was bigger than he could ever put into words. He hoped they were able to feel it as well.

The group's silence was broken at the sound of an alarm going off. Cisco turned to his computer and scrolled through a couple of screens before finding the source of the alarm. Caitlin leaned over his shoulder to get a good look as well.

"We really need to get a new security system," she remarked as he scrolled through the cameras, trying to find what tripped them. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Before we know it, there's going to be a museum tour around here."

"Wouldn't that be a sight to see," Harrison remarked, somewhat dryly. "The Flash, two of the leading scientists in their field, and a social pariah. Not only would it sell tickets, but I'm sure they'd all want to see the attraction of being able to try on the Flash suit."

At his words, Cisco whirled around and held up a slightly shaking hand. "Whoa. Whoa. We can have a parade, floats, balloons, and tours all we want, but _no one_ touches my suit!"

"Do you want to be alone with it?" Caitlin teased.

"Can we start calling it _my_ suit yet?" Barry asked earnestly. "I get that you made it, but I'm the one that wears it."

"Well, once you've managed to successfully apologize for getting it blown up, we can talk."

"Not that I'm not entertained by two grown men fighting over a piece of clothing like soccer moms at a yard sale," Caitlin interrupted. "But I think the more pressing topic we have is whether or not the reason our security system went off is for someone who wants to expose us." As soon as she finished her sentence, the doors at the back of the Cortex opened and the four whirled around, letting out a collective sigh of relief.

Barry moved over to the three that came in through the doors, rubbing his hands together "I'm so glad you guys made it."

"Yeah, Barry was only seconds away from bouncing off the walls," Cisco added.

" _Can_ he bounce?" Sage asked with a light lilt to her voice. "Like, is that part of his powers, too? Because if it is and he didn't mention it, he hadn't been doing a good job of controlling that aspect whenever he was thrown around like a ragdoll."

The speedy metahuman stopped in his tracks long enough to roll his eyes before he reached the girls. "Funny, Sage, real funny. I need your help." He stopped then slapped himself on the forehead and looked back and forth between the three young women that stood before him. "Oh, sorry, have you met yet? Sage Moreaux this is Averey Moore, my…sister—"

"—Sister?" Sage and Cadence repeated.

"It's a long story. And this is my…friend Cadence Nash. Sage is—"

"—Iris's cousin," Cadence interrupted. "Yeah, we've met before. At Jitters maybe?"

Sage smiled. "Actually, you bumped into me at the carnival last year."

"I work at Jitters," Averey supplied.

"Oh!" Sage grinned. "I go there all the time. I've seen you behind the counter."

"Caramel Macchiato!" At Sage's incredulous look, complete with throwing her hands into the air, Averey shrugged sheepishly. "It's easier to remember customers by their orders, mate. And you _do_ consume a lot of coffee."

"It's good!" Sage defended herself, her voice growing high-pitched at the end. She then turned back to Cadence and studied her. "And you're in some of my dance classes. I've seen you around before…isn't there normally a little guy with you?"

Barry watched the three girls converse with an expression of confusion on his face. He glanced back and forth between them and Cisco, Caitlin, and Harrison. His friends didn't seem to think it was odd that the three knew each other. But that wasn't possible…

"Right," Barry agreed. The low tone of his voice betrayed his confusion. Then he suddenly glanced around Cadence, suddenly appearing worried. "Where _is_ Brady?"

"He's—" The fire metahuman cut herself off. She twisted around then let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. "Ugh! I'll be right back." With that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke as she teleported out of the room.

A second later, Averey and Sage jumped as there was another puff of smoke and Cadence appeared beside them once more, carrying an nine year old boy on her back. She allowed him to slide off her back before grabbing his shoulders and moving him in front of her. "I was just looking at the cars," he protested, obviously sad that he had been caught. "I _never_ get to explore around here."

"With your sticky hands I'm not surprised," Cadence replied. She let out a light sigh and turned him towards the two women. "This is my son, Brady. Brady this is Sage and Averey."

"Hi." Brady waved at the two of them. He then tilted his head as he took in Sage's appearance. "I like you hair," he remarked about her honey blonde tresses. "Is it real?"

Cadence siwftly reached out and slapped her hand over Brady's mouth. "I'm sorry about that, he's a blabber." She reached around and tilted his head back so that he noticed her disapproving frown. "And it gets him in a lot of trouble."

"That's okay!" Sage chirped, "happens to me sometimes too."

"Understatement of the year," Barry remarked.

"Mom!" Brady grabbed Cadence's shirt and gently pulled it, pointing over at Averey. "She's the one that took our picture. Remember? At the park?" He then beamed. "She's the one that called me sweetie."

"I should be thanking you for that day," Averey remarked as Cadence smiled her thanks. "You two were some of the better clients I've had in a while, yeah? Not only that but it greatly helped out my portfolio."

"Glad we could help."

"Now that we have our introductions aside," Harrison announced himself as he wheeled over to the metahumans. "Let's get to why you all were brought here." He shifted in his seat, resting his weight to one side. He lifted his hand and started to rub his thumb over his fingers. "You each have your own unique set of powers that will aid us in the termination of the Rogues and whatever plan it is their concocting this time around."

"Those blokes are back in Central City?" Averey questioned.

"It looks like they never left," Cisco supplied. "It's bad enough they've gotten their hands on the Cold and Heat Guns but now they've gotten more people on their side. At least," he paused. "We think so. They've been doing a lot of strange things as of late."

"Strange how?" Cadence asked.

"Knowing them, strange is an understatement," Sage remarked.

Barry rubbed the back of his neck then laced his fingers behind his head. "Strange like they've been robbing different places than they'd normally rob," he commented. "There's the usual jewelry stores, banks, art museums. Anything expensive and artisanal to sell on the black market I'm sure, but there are some others that are more brash."

"Like top secret government facilities," Caitlin supplied. She turned from her computer, where police reports that were all tied back to the two Rogue members piled up. Crossing her legs at the knee, she cleared her throat. "There have been a few hits on the differing government buildings in the city and we think they may be headed towards some others that are out of our reach. Like in Starling, maybe all the way out to DC."

"So what does this have to do with us?" Cadence asked, copying Barry's stance. "Barry's managed to outsmart them before. How can this be any different? Just set up a sting."

"Because now, Cadence, these hits have happened at nearly the same time," Harrison explained. The girls exchanged glances. "Which highly suggests there are other people that are working alongside them. Unfortunately, the CCPD haven't been able to pinpoint who they are, as they would eventually be scattered across the city as well."

"Captain Cold is the one the CCPD are mostly going after," Barry explained. "Not only because of the crimes he's committed before, but because he has no problems being the face of the organization he's running with."

"Sounds like him," Sage remarked, a low tone suddenly coming to her voice. "He must've manipulated the others into working with him. Heat Wave wouldn't be so hard, he's easily amused."

"Well, from the way you were talking on the phone, Barry, it seems like there's some more to what you're telling us," Averey commented. "Having a few more people around to stop the Rogues, that's fine. But…it sounded like a life or death situation going on." There was a long silence that stretched throughout the room. "Did I say something wrong?"

"There have been a lot of victims to these…admittedly strategic hits over the city," Harrison explained. "Some of them being citizens that have gotten in the way, others being parts of the CCPD police force. As it is, we can't afford any more casualties in this senseless war."

A chill moved through the room as Harrison spoke. Was this really what it all came down to? A war? Were they now soldiers locked into a responsibility too big to handle themselves?

"Okay, but what do these guys want with these government files? The jewelry and stuff I can understand, they need funding. They may be keeping some of it themselves because they can. But what is it they're going after within those government offices?" Cadence smirked. "It can't be because they're trying to get rid of the records of their parking tickets."

"That's what we need to figure out as well," Caitlin pointed out.

"At the moment, we're stumped," Cisco agreed.

"Aren't you guys all supposed to be super smart? Can't you just type something on your computer and find out?" Brady asked innocently. His eyes widened as Cadence's admonishment of his name. "What? What'd I say?" He frowned, scratching the back of his head.

"It may take some time to figure out what it is they're up to, which is where each of your expertise comes in," Harrison said. "As it is, the CCPD haven't been really…forthcoming with their information."

Cadence's eyebrows furrowed together and she looked at Barry for confirmation and he gave a tired nod.

"That is, if you want to help. We're not going to force you to uproot your own plans to come back."

"Central City is just as much our home as it is Barry's, hey," Averey explained, nodding over at her half-brother. "Of course we'll help. We wouldn't have come back otherwise." She then turned her attention to Cisco. "That reminds me, I need you to take a look at the Cisco-Cycle, it may have gotten in a bit of an accident on the way in."

"I need you to check out my bike, too," Sage agreed. "If we're going to be fighting the Rogues, I need an upgrade on it as well. I think it can handle turns better."

"You two got cars?" Brady's eyes widened. "Can I see?"

"That's not fair." Cadence frowned. "I don't get a car."

"That's because you can teleport, Cade," Caitlin pointed out. She laughed as the fire metahuman shrugged, twisting her mouth to the side.

Cisco leapt up out of his seat, rubbing his hands together as he grinned. "Well, if it's an upgrade you want, it's an upgrade you get. Ooh, this is going to be so sweet! Spending my whole night tinkering on some of my greatest inventions." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Hmm, that means I'm going to have to move my Walking Dead marathon back until I finish. But that's okay, this is _so_ much better than watching Netflix all night."

Barry and Caitlin exchanged glances as Harrison smiled.

. . .

. .

.

Stretching her arms over her head, Cadence walked into the kitchen and stared at the piles of dishes that had been moved there. Of course when Barry had moved everything of hers and Brady's stuff into it, before she had left for Metropolis, he didn't put everything in the right place, leaving her to have to do it herself.

Then again, while the speedy metahuman could do basically everything fast, she knew he hated to do chores and would continuously put them off each time he got. If anything of his setting up Christmas decoration the 'slow way' was any indication.

With a light sigh she glanced at the time on the microwave, debating whether or not she really wanted to try or at least order in. Eating on the floor was a better prospect than actually having to try and quietly put everything in its place. It was late enough to get back from Metropolis to hear that there was enough damage due to whatever it was the Rogues were concocting. If they had gathered more people to their team, that was going to make it worse. If anything she had been told about the Rogues was as bad as the stories, they were in for a lot of trouble.

Cadence took a stack of dishes and started to move them into the cabinet on the other side of the room. _Heatwave would be the muscle. But if there if was enough people so that even Barry couldn't get there in time, that we had to come in to help, then there's definitely a bigger threat than even the Reverse Flash to deal with._

She continued to move the dishes back and forth, keeping track of the time to know when to go back to STAR Labs to get Brady. It was a win-win for both of them that he wanted to help out Cisco with the upgrades to Sage's and Averey's vehicles, giving her plenty of time to get things switched around without having to chase him down to for him to help. Only nine years old and he was already really good at avoiding his chores when he got the opportunity.

"Definitely been spending too much time with Barry," she commented.

There was a sudden gust of wind and Cadence whirled around, half expecting to find the Flash behind her, with him having come through her open bedroom window, and then jerked her head back in surprise when she spotted Lucas standing in front of her. Her eyes widened before quickly falling into a glare, flames erupting around her fist. "I was thinking the same thing," Lucas commented, flicking his hair back out of his face. "Though for an entirely different reason."

Cadence stared at Lucas, sucking in a sharp breath. Almost immediately, flashes of the time she had spent with him and the rest of the Assassination Bureau, a league of metahumans that had tried to kill Harrison as well as Barry shot through her head. Not only did she have nightmares over the things she had done while under their control, but the guilt was an issue as well. She could barely look at any of her friends at STAR Labs that day, knowing how badly she had betrayed them before.

"Unless you want the smoke alarm to go off, I suggest you stop that," Lucas said, pointing to her hands. Cadence slowly uncurled her fingers, allowing the flame to dissipate. As she didn't move fast enough for him, he lifted his hands and shot a blast of air towards her hand, immediately snuffing the flame. She shook her hands out before rubbing them, hoping to warm them once more.

Lucas paced around the kitchen. "Nice place you have here, it's definitely a lot better than the last dump you were in. Though it was a lot harder to find you."

"What do you want?" She watched him warily as he turned from examining the TV and faced her once more. His blue eyes widened into a manic expression before returning to a serene state. "I already told Breathtaker and the others that no amount of money would get me back in the group." She was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of fear as Lucas moved towards her. _Oh, how could you be so stupid, Cade._

Before she got a chance to ignite any sort of flame, Lucas was on her, jet propelled by a gust of wind. He shot forward and punched her in the stomach. It was enough to immediately knock the wind out of her, knocking her back into the wall before her. Before she could fall, the stormy metahuman had her around the neck with one hand, squeezing it painfully. He brought other hand up and held it by her mouth.

Choking, Cadence's brain screamed at her to bring her hands up, to fend him off, but found that she couldn't move her body. His ever increasing grip continued to crush her windpipe, making it hard for her to even gasp or swallow. Tears sprang from her eyes as Lucas's manic eyes locked on hers and he clenched his left hand into a fist.

Her vision went dark as she felt the wind immediately sucked out of her lungs and her throat collapsed.

Cadence sucked in a sharp breath as she pushed her face out of her pillow. Flipping around, she smoothed her air back off her forehead, eyes darting around the darkened room. Bringing her hands up to her neck, she rubbed the skin, thinking she was going to find some bruising or some sort of pain. There was no indication she had just been strangled as her nightmare had made her believe, though there was a painful crick in her neck. That was it; she had slept with her head tilted at an odd angle. That's all.

Breathing heavily, she sat up straight, resting her back against the headboard and brought her hands up to her face, wiping away the beads of sweat that appeared on her forehead. Once she calmed down, she pulled back the covers on the bed and quietly slipped out of her room. She went to Brady's room and quietly opened the door, peering inside to find him in his normal sleeping position; on his back with one arm up underneath the pillow, the other resting on his chest.

With a small smile, the fire metahuman closed the door once more then returned to her room. She turned her body to the side and sat on the window sill, watching Central City for any abnormal movement.

Better safe than sorry.


End file.
